District Attorney’s Office Mourns Passing of Veteran Criminal Investigator
Socrates said, “He is a man of courage who does not run away but remains at his post and fights against the enemy.” A fitting description for the finest of police officers, the requirement to be brave and to demonstrate courage. Courageous and brave was one such police officer, from the beginning of her career to the end of her life.
On September 6, 2021, Criminal Investigator Kathy Porter lost her battle with her enemy, Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO), also known as Devic’s disease. She fought bravely for over a year, with her beloved husband, Chris, and family by her side, to beat this debilitating disorder. Her acts of bravery continued after her death, by insisting her body be donated back to Stanford Hospital to find answers about NMO in an effort to help people in the future.
That type of selflessness in the face of knowing the grim truth about her condition is indicative of the caliber, courage, and strength of Kathy Porter. Kathy began her career in her father Ralph Martin’s footsteps at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department, where she rose to the rank of sergeant. Her passion and expertise, however, was in the role of a sex crimes detective. She was known throughout the Central Valley as an outstanding ‘crimes against children’ detective and was an expert in her field. Children trusted her, victims put their faith in her, and suspects would fear her, because she was relentless in her pursuit of justice.
In 2015, Kathy was hired by the Office of the District Attorney, as a criminal investigator. Kathy worked sex crimes, cold case homicides, and public corruption investigations. She sought the truth. Some cases were personally and professionally challenging, especially allegations of corruption by public servants. She always weathered that responsibility with professionalism and courage and with a singular focus on finding the truth.
Although as a police officer her job was always serious, Kathy was not. She had a terrifically wicked sense of humor and felt that espirit de corps and the morale of her unit and partners was her personal responsibility. Her partners, her colleagues at the District Attorney’s Office, her friends, and most of all her family, have been left devastated by her death. She was a hero. Kathy was brave in her lifetime and beyond her lifetime. It was a privilege to know her.
At this time, there is not a date for a memorial or funeral service. Her husband, Criminal Investigator Chris Porter, appreciates all of your kind thoughts and prayers. He knows better than anyone the impact she made on this County, the countless victims she helped, and the partners and friends she made along the way.